Aerobic Biodegradation of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) by Bacillus cereus İsolated from Contaminated Soil

• Published in: Microbial ecology Vol. 66; no. 3; pp. 512 - 521
• Main Authors: Mercimek, H. Aysun, Dincer, Sadık, Guzeldag, Gulcihan, Ozsavli, Aysenur, Matyar, Fatih
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer Science + Business Media 01-10-2013; Springer US; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acid soils; Aerobic biodegradation; Aerobiosis; Bacillus cereus; Bacillus cereus - genetics; Bacillus cereus - isolation & purification; Bacillus cereus - metabolism; Bacteria; Biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Dinitrotoluene; Ecology; ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY; Explosives; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gas chromatography; Geoecology/Natural Processes; Life Sciences; Liquid chromatography; Liquids; Mass spectrometry; Metabolites; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Nature Conservation; Nitrates; Nitrates - metabolism; Nitrites; Nitrites - metabolism; Polluted soils; Soil contamination; Soil Microbiology; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - metabolism; Soil pollution; Soil samples; Thin layer chromatography; Trinitrotoluene - metabolism; Water Quality/Water Pollution; AN, North Atlantic; North Atlantic Treaty Organization; Minimal Salt Medium; Nitrite; Ethylenediamine Dihydrochloride; Nitro Group; Biodegradation; Bacillus cereus; Bacillales; Trinitrotoluene; Bacteria; Ecology; Aerobe; Bacillaceae; Soil pollution
• ISSN: 0095-3628; 1432-184X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00248-013-0248-6

In this study, biological degradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) which is very highly toxic environmentally and an explosive in nitroaromatic character was researched in minimal medium by Bacillus cereus isolated from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) TNT-contaminated soils. In contrast to most previous studies, the capability of this bacteria to transform in liquid medium containing TNT was investigated. During degradation, treatment of TNT was followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and achievement of degradation was calculated as percentage. At an initial concentration of 50 and 75 mg L —1 , TNT was degraded respectively 68 % and 77 % in 96 h. It transformed into 2,4-dinitrotoluene and 4-aminodinitrotoluene derivates, which could be detected as intermediate metabolites by using thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography—mass spectrometry analyses. Release of nitrite and nitrate ions were searched by spectrophotometric analyses. Depending upon Meisenheimer complex, while nitrite production was observed, nitrate was detected in none of the cultures. Results of our study propose which environmental pollutant can be removed by using microorganisms that are indigenous to the contaminated site.